Each week we interview one of our members to find out a bit more about them and their work in the Greater Manchester digital sphere. This week we're speaking with Viewpoint AV, experts in AV and innovative workplace tech.
What does your organisation do?
Viewpoint-AV is an Audio-Visual company which implements innovative workplace technologies for corporate and digital businesses.
We make the complicated simple and accessible to enable businesses to be more productive and collaborate more effectively.
We love optimising meeting room and presentation suites and developing wow factor areas like receptions spaces. We do more niche projects also - delivering things like video walls, user testing suites, & event spaces where you can broadcast via things like Teams, Zoom & Hangouts.
For us it’s all about working with people to evolve a brief, introduce concepts and engineer solutions that suit needs.
What do you think is currently the biggest issue facing the tech industry?
Video Communications has seen a huge increase in usage recently, which is brilliant.
People are having more involved conversations whilst reducing the need for travel which is great for the environment & our work life balance.
But we need to see improvements in terms of interoperability, if I’m invited to a Hangout I’d like to be able to connect to the call from my Teams client. And someone else might want to be able to open up Zoom and dial someone on Webex.
But we’re not there yet, on Video we are dispersed across different platforms that don’t necessarily want to play with each other…
As integrators we can align various tools and have things working together for you - but foresight, planning, and considerations need to be made to ensure things work.
I’d like to see Cloud Video Interoperability (CVI) type services added in to core offerings with the main players working together more to standardise. With the hope that we eventually get to a point where users can jump on to their software of choice, find who to meet with and simply make a video call.
What is your organisation’s biggest achievement?
Eight years ago, we were a department within an award-winning interior design and fit-out company, we were given the opportunity to take Viewpoint-AV out and start our own business.
We’ve got some awesome clients who have enabled us to help them. This has allowed us to create a solid business which has seen steady growth - largely because of the team’s hard work and excellent customer service.
We’re proud of our hard work ethos, where we came from & where we’re going.
In terms of recognised achievements we we’ve had nominations at both InAVate & the AV Awards for our work at the Auto Traders offices on Tony Wilson Place & one of our projects at the XYZ building, in Spinningfields, was named winner of the ‘Best Fit-Out of a Workplace’ for its agile working environment.
What would you consider to be your organisation’s biggest challenge?
Workplace design thought is currently being re-considered in light of the CV19 pandemic, so how we deploy technology to accommodate new ways of working will need to be brought in line with this. We need to ensure we keep our team safe first and foremost - then we’ll need to move quickly to get solutions right for our customers and implement them rapidly for maximum effect.
What do you think the future looks like for Manchester’s tech sector?
As a business that has client offices in each of the major cities in the U.K. we know that Manchester is up there with the best of them, it’s a great place to work with some of the most innovative companies and interesting workspaces in the world on offer.
Commercial property in Manchester continues to be developed, with office take up in and around the city centre at record highs – this speaks volumes for us about Manchester’s global appeal for companies involved in media, technology and business services.
Manchester has been booming for some-time now, we are certain this will long continue.
Tell us something that we might not know about your company?
Each year we do a 13mile Tough Mudder race together as Team Viewpoint, it’s great for team building and a very different way to get some exercise… it’s almost good fun for some of us!
Want to raise your profile?
If you would like your company to feature on our site, on our social media channels and across our newsletter, get in touch with thom@manchesterdigital.com to arrange.
